jbrentd

Long time, no update. I've been enjoying the car. Loving the size and the power of the 4.2L.

Tonight I set out to update the MMI and NAV systems. I was surprised to find that it only took 20 minutes to run all of the updates. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the DVD I bought from NAVDVDS.com (for only $50) worked great. I bought from them with no research and had some buyers remorse, thinking they might have been a scam. But the DVD came in just a couple of days and worked flawlessly. I now have the 2013 maps.

Spent most of the afternoon cleaning our cars on Sunday. After the snow and ice we've had, they needed baths pretty bad.



Hopefully, within the next couple of months, I'll be in the market for some new wheels.

jbrentd

Couldn't pass up the $28 clearance price on brembo rotors from RockAuto. Also bought some Akebono pads. Hopefully they nearly eliminate brake dust, as I've read about.



And finally have some new shoes on the way. Don't have them in my possession just yet.

raj99

Good deal on the rotors! Although shipping is high, you can't go wrong for a set of genuine Brembo rotors for under $170!

I ordered as well and look forward to when I get to install my Akebono's as well.

BTW, I really like my new wheels, since they don't show brake dust NEAR as much as my old ones.

What kind of rims did you get? Those tires appear to be all-season or summer...certainly not winter.

jbrentd

I found a good deal on some 20" peelers. They are like new and the tires (Falken 452's) only have a couple hundred miles on them. Although not the tire I would have chosen, since they wear quickly, I couldn't pass up the deal.

Not much need for winter tires here in Oklahoma. If it's gets too bad, I can drive our Jeep.

jmar46

Where did you get the rear lip from and does it come painted for a 2011 A6?

jbrentd

I bought it off ebay for $60. It did come painted and matched really well with my oyster grey metallic.

jmar46

Who is the manufacturer of the lip that you bought?

Worldwidebeagle

I believe these Brembos are NOS made for Brembo by an aftermarket foundry in Italy. Actually a small family operation. I will look for the name. They are still very much in business but do not seem to have the after market biz they used to have. These Italian guys used to even sell under their own name. Must be pricing pressure from China and Mexico. This Italian foundry used to be a great source in the US for plain jane rotors for German cars; used them on VWs and Audis.

Most rotors are at least cast blanks from China due to environmental reasons. Non fancy Brembo, Ferodo, zimmermann, ATE, all china. My guess is that Brembo can no longer be competitive in the price sensitive base market with the Italian blanks.

With all disks, check the run out. I have seen several complaints about run out on the low end, standard, "non fancy" Brembo disks on other forums, inc. BMW. EDIT: The complaints SEEM to be for the NEWER China sourced Brembos.

Hope it works out for you.

You will really like the Akebono euros. A touch more peddle pressure, which I like. Overall, I love them; hated the soft and filthy oem pads. Just MAKE SURE you bed them in properly.

jbrentd

Worldwidebeagle, what made you change your mind about the brembos being from China?

Worldwidebeagle

Sorry.....
Simply, it appears I made a mistake when i assumed the ones bought by the OP were made in China. All the newer Brembo oem type plain rotors are from China. I just saw a new Fresh set at friends, made in China. And a stack at an Indie, all China.

AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THE OP's PHOTO: it appears to say Made in Italy. That would guarantee NOS Brembo Italy.

Rock Auto buys up lots of car parts inventories and places going out of business. I have seem Porsche parts that are 10 years old - not good for rubber/belts, but fine for iron. Most of the blow out deals on Rock are great - just NOS. These discs are SO old that they are made in Italy, in a foundry near Brembo.

While I would love to bash China rotors, I cannot. Seems NO ONE wants to cast them any more. Not the US, not Canada and not most of Europe. Its an ugly dirty process that is labor intensive. "just right for china" Even the very high end custom rotor driller/machiners in the US use Chinese blanks that they then turn/drill.

About a month ago, I needed new brakes on my 11 A6 avant. I over researched it as usual. No way was I using the expensive Audi OEM crap - horrible rust and ****ty pads.

I was really looking for the Italian aftermarket rotors from that small foundry, but no one imports them in the US anymore. It seems the general consensus FROM PEOPLE THAT KNOW PARTS FOR A LIVING (not you and I) is that for OEM replacement even on high end German cars, the brand name brake company rotors from China are actually quite good IF you make sure it has G3000 metallurgy -iron (not the cheaper G2000), that they have COPIED the OEM internal venting/fanning (not straight venting), and, of course, the machining is accurate.

Bottom line, if you guys got Brembo MADE IN ITALY rotors - YOU SCORED!

Sorry jbrentd, you ARE the OP. Hard to keep track.